Artificial limb



Aug. 28, y1928.

J. H. Ko`sEK Er A1.

ARTIFIGIALv ALIMB filed sen. 1o, 1925 m W fm Z4 w m am 71mm W Patented' Aug. 28, 192s.

UNITED i STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. KOSEK AND RAYMOND B. TRAUTMAN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, AS- SIGNORS TO DAVID W. DORRANCE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

ARTIFICIAL, LIMB.

Application filed September Our invention relates to improvementsin artificial limbs and particularly to hands of that general nature disclosed in Patent No. 1,042,413 granted Oct. 29, 1912 to David W.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple and durable device adapted to be ap-plied to the conventional arm stump socket and having co-operating bowed lingers,

which Vare yieldingly brought together and normally held closed, said fingers being adaptedto` befopened by means of the usual pull cord customarily employed for such purpose.

Another object is to provide improved fin- `ger tip` members in an article of the present nature, which members adapt the article for manyand varied operations simulating the use of the fingers of the human hand.

`With the foregoing and other objects in view,- which' will appear in the following description, the` invention resides in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figi is a perspective view of a device embodying our invention; Fig. 2

is a 'side view thereof, a portion of the same being broken away to plainly show structural parts that otherwise would be concealed; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view, the same particularly illustrating the finger tip members of the co-operating fingers.l

Referring to the drawings, it will 'be noted that our improved varticle includes a lshank A,fin'ger frame B and fingers 10, 11. The

'shank A is a comparatively short piecebowed medially thereof as at 1Q, and formed at its tipl with a cross-head a The butt of the shank A is 'of conventional design, said butt 0 being threaded and formed with a wrist disk 13 thereon. As usual, said threaded butt is fitted intothe head-plate 14 of an arm stump socketi 15, the disk 13 being turned 4against aresilient washer inset in said head-plate 14. The finger frame B comprises two side platesl'formed integrally at the corresponding 'ends thereof with the butt of the finger 10. This frame B is pivoted to the end 17 of the cross-head a by means of a pintle 18, said crosshead being-'closely embraced betweenthe side plates 16 of said frame B and thereby adapted to prevent relative movement between frame and shank except about the axis of said pintley 18. The finger 11, carried 56fatthebutt'thereof between the side plates 10, 1925. Serial No. 55,503.

16, is pivoted to said plates by means of'a y pintle 19, the inner edge of said finger being members 23 that are brought together face toface when said fingers are closed. Means for yieldingly closing'the fingers 10, 11 resides in a rubber band 24 or other suitable contract-l ing medium interposed between the shank A and a projection l()a at the butt of the'finger- 10. This band, in the absence of resistance,

4operates to sving the finger frame B'forwardly on the shank A and through such action causes the engagement of the lug 22 with the cross-head portion 21, the result being`v that the finger 11 is swung closed with the tip member Q3 thereof implanted against the companion tip member 23 of the finger` 10. rihe finger 11 is formed with-a right angular lever 11a to which the usual pull cord 25 is at' tached. `Said cord being anchored to a users shoulder operates, upon'a forward thrust of the stumpA socket 15, to exert a rearward pull upon the lever 11a. A dual effect results from such actuation of the lever 11, the finger 11 being swung onthe frame B and saidy frame swung on the shank A. Vith the parts lthus relatively swung the fingers 10, 11 are spread apart and the tip portions 23 spacedaslde-A sired.y In this connection yit willbe'fnoted` that an opening swing of the finger 11-on the frame B cannot be imparted to said finger in the absence of a compensating swinging movement ofthe frame B on the shank. A. This condition prevailing the fingers l0, 11

are held closed against any force operating y equally; against said fingers. For example, assume that the user is carrying a bucket with the bail (26, Fig. 2) thereof between the two fingers 10, 11. Any tendency of the bail to spread the fingers apart is directed equally against said fingers,I that force -working against the finger 10 tendingto keep the frame B from swinging on the `shank A and therebyr securing'the finger 11 against-anope'ning swing on said frame. Further countering the finger openingmovement of the frame B onthe shank A is the rubber band 24 and still further kcountering such movement of said frame under weight sustained bem Ul tween the fingers, is the tendency of said frame to swing in linger closing direction, due to the off center connection between shank A and finger frame B. In this con-` nection it will be noted that the pintle 18 lies considerably to one side of a plane passing through the axis of the shank A and between the tip members 23 of the fingers l0, ll, the effect of such arrangement being to convert force of a carried load into a force assisting the baud 24.- in holding the frame B in linger closing relation with respect to the shank A.

`The iattened hook-like tip members 23 `formed at the free ends of the lingers lO, 1l are disposed at right angles to the plane of the finger frame B. The free end of each finger merges into the head of its respective tip member. One of said tip members 23 is fitted at the head thereof wi th a pair of spaced pins 27, which are arranged to be sheathed within complementing apertures 28 in the head of the other tip member 23, when the fingers are closed. These pins 27 co-operate with each other and with the bodies of the tip members 23 to hold articles (Fig 3) in the grasp of the device and the rear pin 27 aside from its co-operation with said tip members additionaliy cooperates with the linger frame B to secure articles within the device. This latter method of co-operation between parte is not shown, but it will be readily understood that a case knife may be held with the blade thereofgripped between the bodies of the tip inembers 23 and the handle resting on the upper frame plate 16. A knife thus disposed has the rear pin 27 as rest for the upper edge of the blade and said upper frame plate 16 as a rest for the lower edge of the handle.

Due to the peculiar co-ordination and arrangement of parts, our improved device is extremely useful for many and varied purposes. It is easily operated to open and close the fingers and said fingers in numerous uses `of the device powerfully resist any tendency to open, eXcept by means of the linger opening cord.

Changes in the specific form of our invention, as herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is z l. In an article of the class described, a shank for attachment at the butt thereof to an armv stump socket, said shank having a crosshead atits tip, a frame, oppositely bowed complementary lingers carried at opposite ends of said frame, one of said lingers being pivoted thereon and co-operating with one end of said cross-head, the other end of the cross-head being pivoted to the frame, the joint between cross-head and frame being substantially removed from the axis of-said shank, tip members, one for each finger, said members meeting in a plane intersecting said axis, the co-operation of said cross-head with the pivoted finger serving to close said pivoted iingeragainst its companion linger upon swinging movement of the frame in one direction with respect to said shank, yielding contracting means operating between the shank and frame for swinging the latter on the former in said finger closing direction, and a vlever on said pivoted linger for imparting an opening swing thereto and for concurrent-ly imparting a compensating finger freeing swing of the frame on said shank.

2. 1n an article of the class described, a shank for attachment at the butt thereof to an arm stump socket, said shank having a cross-head at its tip, a frame comprising spaced frame bars, the same closely embracing said crosshead andv pivoted thereto at one end thereof, a finger carried bysaid frame, at the end thereof adjacent the joint between frame and shank, a complementary finger pivoted on the opposite end of said frame, said finger having a lug thereon for engagement with the corresponding end of the crosshead, the co-operation of said crosshead with said lug serving to close said pivoted linger upon swinging movement of the frame in one direction with respect to said frame, yielding contracting means operating between the shank and frame for swinging the latter on the former in said finger closing direction, and a lever on said pivoted finger for imparting `an opening swing thereto and for concurrently imparting a compensating finger freeing swing of the frame on said shank.

3. 1n a device of the character described,

a shank for attachment to an arm stump` socket, a frame pivoted on said shank, a finger on said frame and a complementary finger pivoted thereon, said pivoted finger and shank co-operating, one withthe other, the pivoted finger being caused by the shank to close against its companion finger upon the swinging of the frame in one direction on the shank, yielding means interposed between said frame and shank for swinging the formei in said fingerl closing direction upon the latter, and means associated with the pivoted linger for imparting an opening swing thereto and concurrently imparting a compensating finger freeing swing to the frame on said shank.

et. 1n an article of the class described, a shank for attachment to an arm-stump socket, complementary fingers supported by said shank, said fingers having matching hook like tip members adapted to close together face-to-face, the free end of each finger merg ing into the head of its respective tip mem-- ber, a protuberance extending outwardly be yond the face of one member ,at the head thereof, the head of the other member being recessed to receive it, and a second protuberance extending outward beyond the face of oneof said members at its head portion, the other member being recessed to receive the same.

5. In an article of the class described, a shank for attachment to an arm-stump socket, a frame on said shank and oppositely bowed, complementing fingers on said frame, said fingers having tip members adapted to close together face-to-face, said members being disposed at right angles to the plane of said frame, and a pin on one tip member, the other member having a complementing aperture to receive it.

6. In an article of the class described, a shank for attachment to an arm-stump) socket, complementary fingers supported y said shank and adapted to close, one against the other, a protuberance on one finger tip, the tip of the other finger having a complementing recess to receive the same, and a second protuberance on one of said finger tips, the tip of the other finger having a complementing recess to receive the same, said protuberances being adapted to receive an implement therebetween.

7. In an article of the class described, a shank for attachment to an arm stump socket, complementary fingers carried by said shank, said fingers having matching hook members adapted to close face to face, a protuberance extending from the face of one member, the head of the other'being formed with a rece-ss to receive said protuberance, said protuberance being adapted to lie within said recess upon partial opening of said matched hook members to form an abutment for an implement held therebetween.

8. An artificial hand for attachment to an arm stump socket, the same including a frame and a pair of conplementing relatively movable fingers carried thereby, said fingers having matching hook members adapted to close face-to-face, and a protuberance on one of said members extending toward the other hook member and supplying a rest for instruments grasped between said hook members.

9. In an article of the class described, a shank for attachment to an arm stump socket, a frame movably mounted on said shank, a pair of complementary fingers on the frame, one being pivoted thereon and co-operating with said shank, said pivoted finger being swung toward the other finger upon movement of the frame in one direction on said shank, yielding tension means for so moving said frame, and means connected with the pivoted finger for swinging the same away from its complementary finger against the action of said tension means.

10. In an article of the class described, a

shank for attachment to an arm stump socket,

a frame movably mounted on said shank, a pair of complementary fingers on .the frame, one being pivoted thereon and co-operating with said shank, said pivoted finger being swung with respect to the other finger upon movement of the frame on said shank, and means for moving said frame on the shank to swing said pivoted finger.

11. In an article of the class described, a support for attachment to an arm stump socket, complementary fingers carried by said support, said fingers having complemen` tary face portions thereon, members formed on said face portions providing spaced shoulders extending outwardly beyond the Yfact portions, said face portions being adapted to contact one with the other between said members upon the closing of the fingers and, upon the partial opening of said fingers, to engage, between said members, the opposite sides of' an implement, said members in such relation of said fingers serving to engage other oppo` site sides of such implement.

12. In an article of the class described, a support for attachment to an arm stump socket, complementary fingers carried by said support, said fingers having complementary face portions, a member formed on one of said face portions providing a shoulder extending outwardly beyond said face portion, said face portions being adapted to contact one with the other upon the closing of the fingers and, upon the partial opening of said fingers, to engage opposite sides of an implement, said member in such relation of said fingers serving to engage another side of such implement.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

JOSEPH H. KOSEK. f RAYMOND B. TRAUTMAN. 

